Many food service establishments utilize food dispensers for dispensing predetermined measures or portions of food or drink. Conventional dispensers used in food service establishments enable a predetermined measure of a beverage to be dispensed upon actuation of the dispenser. A drawback with conventional dispensers, however, is that upon actuation, the conventional dispenser typically dispenses a predetermined measure of food or beverage regardless of whether a full measure is required to fill the cup or container. Unfortunately, when the conventional dispensers are used with carbonated beverages, the effervescence of the beverage being dispensed into the cup causes the beverage to often overflow the container. Accordingly, when the effervescnce subsists, less than a full measure of the beverage remains in the cup. Consequently, either a separate switch is required to enable the cup to be filled by manual control to the full measure or another full measure of the beverage must be dispensed in order to fill the cup with the excess portion of the beverage being wasted.
In still other applications, conventional beverage dispensers do not have the capability to dispense food either above or below a preset measure. As a result, either the preset measure must be continuously readjusted to accommodate different capacity cups or the preset measure of beverage must be dispensed until the cup is filled to capacity with the remaining beverage being wasted.
In accordance with applicant's unique invention, a food dispenser is provided which overcomes many of the drawbacks of conventional food dispensers. In accordance with applicant's invention, a food dispenser is provided which not only dispenses predetermined measures of food but also has the capability to permit drinking cups to be topped off with beverage. As a result, additional beverage beyond a preset measure may be added to oversize containers without any waste of product. Further, the food dispenser in accordance with the present invention has the additional capacity to dispense less than a preset measure to accommodate undersize cups without requiring any additional switches or any adjustment to the preset measure. The beverage is dispensed under circuit control rather than mechanical gear arrangements to provide a more efficient and reliable dispenser.